Intra-oral isolation (separation of teeth from tongue and mucosa) and moisture control (maintenance of a dry field by fluid and debris ejection) are paramount during dental procedures that involve adhering (bonding) materials to teeth. However, the patient's oral cavity presents a multitude of challenges for the practitioner.
Irrespective of the specific location intra-orally, the patient's tongue must be isolated from the bonding surface(s). Also, when operating on the facial surfaces of teeth, the buccal mucosa (cheeks) must also be separated from the bonding surface.
Furthermore, the oral cavity is constantly filled with saliva, and the operator must apply and eject gels/fluids (acid etch and water) to prepare tooth surfaces for bonding.
To address these challenges, tongue and mucosa retractors have been combined with fluid-ejection components/adapters in the prior art. These appliances are worn by the patient intra-orally to provide field isolation and moisture control for the operator.
While many of these dental appliances and methods for providing intra-oral operative isolation, fluid ejection, and tongue and mucosa (cheek) retraction are effective, they are generally deficient in the following areas:                1) Current unilateral and/or single arch isolation appliances available provide the best isolation and moisture control, but lack the ability to provide simultaneous bilateral inter-arch isolation intraorally.        2) Current bilateral inter-arch isolation appliances available provide inferior isolation compared to unilateral iterations, and are cumbersome to use. The isolation and visualization of distal teeth (molars) is often inhibited by the connection of tongue and mucosa retractors. Bilateral inter-arch iterations are also typically expensive and are not disposable. Therefore, they are often re-used and must be sterilized. Sterilization is often problematic due to the construction/materials of the appliance.        
Unilateral and/or single arch isolation appliances may be switched to the contralateral side or opposite arch following completion of the procedure(s). However, this removal and subsequent replacement of the appliance increases the total time required to complete the procedure(s), and is uncomfortable for the patient. Ultimately, simultaneous bilateral inter-arch isolation is desired in many instances.
For example, the orthodontist who places attachments (braces) on the facial surfaces of teeth typically requires simultaneous access and moisture control for all teeth present intra-orally. The orthodontist is also more specifically concerned about patient aspiration of foreign bodies (brackets) during the bonding procedure. Unfortunately, current bilateral inter-arch iterations are also inferior to unilateral iterations in terms of safety provisions regarding foreign body aspiration. Finally, unlike their bilateral inter-arch counterparts, unilateral and/or single arch isolation iterations may be consumable/disposable, which offers significant advantages for ensuring an aseptic/sterile appliance. Therefore, orthodontists (out of necessity) increase risk of cross-contamination to their patients by not having a disposable option.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improvement in intra-oral field isolation, fluid ejection, and tongue and mucosa retraction.